After designer Rela Gleason and her husband, Don, conceptualized their Napa Valley retreat, they enlisted the assistance of architects Bobby McAlpine and John Sease. The Gleasons had chosen an approximately 40-acre site that is nestled in the heart of Napa Valley and surrounded by thousands of acres of preserved land.

Together the team created a home that exemplifies the essence of Napa Valley luxury. A winding drive meanders through cabernet vineyards and olive groves toward the compound, which is sited at the top of a knoll.

Gleason sketched out floor plans for the estate, which took inspiration from the timeless country homes and farmhouses of Edwin Lutyens and would consist of three elegant pavilions gracefully linked by romantic breezeways and loggias.

Gleason selected materials to give the interiors and exteriors touches of Old World romanticism — steel, glass, local and salvaged stone, concrete, and western cedar among them.

The primary pavilion comprises the main residence, for which Gleason assembled contemporary furnishings, textiles from her own collection, and acquired antiques.

Chief among the home’s alluring spaces is a living and dining salon with a lofty weathered-cedar ceiling and walls of glass, a red-cedar-paneled library, a stylish master suite with its own stone-walled garden and outdoor shower, and a cook’s kitchen with multiple islands, a breakfast bar, superior appliances, and an adjoining family room with a stone fireplace.

Sweeping valley views can be enjoyed from the sheltered terrace, a scenic dining loggia, relaxing courtyards, gardens, and an infinity-edge swimming pool with flagstone coping.

In the second pavilion are the estate’s gym, media room, office or studio, and wine cellar.

The third pavilion houses garaging and a very private guest suite.

Further off are two guesthouses — the estate offers a total of five bedrooms — rose and vegetable gardens, fruit trees, a greenhouse, a chicken coop, and an idyllic second swimming pool, which is accompanied by a rugged stone patio and an enchanting grove of trees.